Miter box



N. M. LUDWIG Aug. 15, 195o MITER BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov; 23, 1946 l lNVENToR NICHOLAS M.| UDW|G AT T RNEYS N. M. LUDWIG Aug. l5, 1950 MITER BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1946 mmm INVENTOR NICHOLAS M, LUDWlG ATT Nevs-3 Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITEDs@'rarif;'s4 PATENT OFFICE f MrrER B oX e 'Nicholas M.' Ludwig, Racine, Wis; f Application Ntvemtr 23, 1946, serialv No'. 711,978

` l 4 v My invention refers to miter boxes and it has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive miter box adapted to clamp various steel trim casing designs of `standard variety, such as cas ing beads, base beads, and bull nose beads, whereby 1. the same maybe cut by a hack saw either crosswise or mitered into desired lengths. The box also forms .a quick acting vise vfor clamping the strips of material laterally by means of a chucking block.

Due to the compactness and simplicity of the box, it also materially reduces the cost of'rsaw bladesdue to the fact that saidblades maybe of approximately the l2 inches in length. I p The specific object of `myinvention is to provide vertical walls extending from a bed'having slots or saw kerfs therein for the reception of lengths of casing trims to becut, the said trims being adjusted within ,the box and locked by a quick acting clamp block whereby the bead or flanged portion of the trims are securely locked to one of the box `walls in a hack saw operation. Thus the metal trims may be conveniently adjusted longitudinally of the boxufor cutting the same in the desired lengths, it being understood that such standard trims usually'embody a flat skeleton base merged into an upwardly curved With the above and other objects in view, which will appear asn the description proceeds, the inventionresides inthe novel construction, combination land arrangement of parts, substantially ashereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l represents a plan View of a miter box embodying the features of my invention with parts broken away and other parts in section to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the box, the section being indicated by line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the same, the section being indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the miter box illustrating a modified form of the clamping block and solid casing trim.

' 2' claims; oci. 14s-86) Figure 5 is asimilar cross sectional View show-l ing' a different character of work being held by the clamping block.

rFigure 6 is a plan 'view of still another form of clamping block and removable channel iron rail for supporting a centrally disposed bead having skeleton endplates.

`Figure 7 is a cross section of the same, the section being indicated by line 1-1 of Figure 6.

` Figure 8 is a detailed longitudinal sectional View of the miter box particularly illustrating the channel iron rail, said section being indicated'by line 8-8 `of Figure 6.

' Referring by characters to the drawings 1 indicates a bed havingvertically disposed walls 2 extending from its edges. For convenience in manufacture, the box is preferably fabricated from aluminum and to add strength thereto the walls I have secured to their outer faces reinforcing'steel plates 3 3. The reinforcing plates and walls of the box are provided with transversely positioned grooves or kerfs 5 and also oppositely disposed miter kerfs 5'. All of these kerfs are connected by grooves 6 6 formed in the upper face of the bed for convenience in manipulating a hack saw in cutting various materials which materialsordinarily have faces that rest flatly upon they bed.

Loosely fitted 'into the trough like miter box is a 'standard casing bead, which bead embodies a flat skeleton plate '1 terminating at one edge into a curved bead or flange 1. The casing trim must be frictionally locked Within the miter box and for this purpose I provide a clamping block 8 having a nose 8 which is seated within the casing trim. The nose of the block engages the corner of the trim from which springs upwardly the bead or flange.

Secured to the upper face of the block by a screw 9 is a U-shaped spring strap l0 having an upstanding lip l0', which lip, as best indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, overlaps the upper edge of the bead or flange 'l'.

One leg of the U-shaped strap lil is provided with a slot l0 for the reception of a confining screw Il. The slotted end of the strap is folded downwardly and under the block to form a gripping lug l2, which lug engages the lower edge of a steel locking strip i3 secured to the inner face of the associated box wall I.

With this simple miter box, in conjunction with the clamping block, when it is desired to lock a strip of metal, of the trim casing variety, the metal strip is seated within the box and thereafter the operator inserts the nose 8 of said block to lock the casing strip, is positioned interme.

diately of the miter grooves or kerfs.

Referring especially to the modified formn` off I my invention, illustrated in Figure loi the drawings, the base of the miter box is provided with parallel longitudinally disposed gutters- I 4' adapt'-v ed to engage end flanges l-I5 of a solidcasing bead trim whereby said casing trim is held in parallel relations-With the walls .of thebox.

This, solid' casing trim is heldl in place by a clamping block IEY having end edges which engage the inner faces of the -box walls.

Oneendof. the clamping block isv provided with a depending tooth` IS having a shoulder I6" which engages a corner of the casing block to rmly hold the same in position for cutting.

Figure 5r of the. drawings illustrates another type of solid casing` beads having a, flat upper wallY terminating with depending anges for engagement. with the gutters l 4.

This form of casing trim is, looked within the miter box` by the clamping block I6 which block is similar to the block shown in connection with the structure illustratedV in Figure 4 of the. drawings.,

Figures 6 to 8 inclusive illustrate4 means for holdinga casing trim having a centrally disposed bead Il'terminating with skeleton platesl; which plates. are foldedV upon themselves as best illustratedin Figure 7 ofthe drawings..

The corner o the bead l1 is adapted to rest upon a channel iron rail I9, which rail is faced against the inner surface of.` one of the box wallsv 2.

The. endsof the railV i9 are folded over to form loops 2-2U`, which loops engage the end'srofV the associated wall whereby the rail' is adjustably heldin its. proper position. The Vupper face. of the rail is also provided with grooves 6"' corresponding to the kerfs ofthe miter box.

This type ofY casing trim is securely held. in position. with the bead resting upon the upper face of the channel iron rail by a. clamping block 8 having a handle I0 extending therefrom with one end of the handle terminating in a lip I, which lip engages the upper corner of the bead I1.

The clamping block 8 in this instance has one end engaging the lower corner of the miter box and its upper nosed end is engaged by the looped throat of the bead whereby the casing trim is securely held in position for sawing purposes.

It. isY understood where the casing beads terminatewith skeleton plates, the bead or flange is separated by the hack saw and the flexible end plates are thereafter cut with shears, when said plate or plates are not supported.

1-. A miter box for cutting steel trims or the like comprising a bed, walls extending upwardly from thebedJedgeSz having cross cuts and miter cuts. therein communicating with bed grooves, the box being adapted to receive a flanged metal trim, av removable clamping block for engaging the trim flange and` a spring strip secured tothe block having any end; yieldably engaging one of the box" walls and the opposite end being in engagement with thev trimbead and adapted to frictionallyengage thecasing'trimilange whereby it is heldzagainst the associated-box wall.

2. A miterboxk fbr'cutting steely trims or the like comprisinga rectangular bed', vertical walls extending from its side edges, said walls having saw guide kerfs in its walls connected by grooves in the bed, the box being adapted to receive flanged or beaded metal trims; a locking strip secured to onev of the bed Walls, a removable clamping'block'having a nose adapted to engage the` throat corner of a trim bead'ange, a spring strap' secured to` theblock', having one end terminating withV a lip for engaging a trim bead edge-and a yieldable lug extending from the opposite end of the strap tted under the locking strip' and adapted to engage the associated edge of` a; trim.

NIC'Iel'GlliAS M. LUDWIG.

REFERENCES CITED The followingt references are of record in the file oi this, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number- Name Date 850,873' Pringle Apr. 16, 1907 1,718,791* Ludwig' June 25, 1929 2,046,404' Owen July 7, 1936 2,289,142 Parsons July '7, 1942 

